A New World Order

Maybe it has something to do with that mammoth Antarctic ice shelf falling into the ocean but be assured; the world as we knew it just a few days ago, no longer exists! At least the curling world.
How else to explain why China's Bingyu Wang has today off to explore Vernon's spring time beauty, while Canada's Jennifer Jones will spend the afternoon fighting for her playoff life at this year's Ford World Women's Curling Championship. And get this, Jones won't be playing the Americans, Swiss or the Swedes. She has a date with Moe Meguro and her Japanese champions in today's semi-final game. What a world.............What a world.
Wang and her support crew of Ying Liu, Qingshuang Yue and Yan Zhou are starting to make sports writers remember how hard it was to spell Schmirler initially as well. This team seems to be channelling the late great one as they make their way toward the championship medal podium.
In Friday night's 1-2 game, they did everything right in building an impressive 6-1 lead after five ends and cruising to the 7-5 victory against Canada's Jones. Wang and Liu made like Schmirler and Betker in outcurling their opposites at the key backend positions. Jones curled a dismal 79% and missed opportunities to right the team's floundering fortunes on more than one occasion in the first half of the game. After critical misses, Jones would make like Dana Carvey's "Church Lady" and look quite dismayed. The Canadians don't look like they're having much fun.
The Chinese, who have today's bye, and the Japanese, who have the opportunity to spoil Canada's week completely, seem to be having the time of their lives.